The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action is the political lobbying arm of the NRA, a 501(c)(4) organization. The Institute was formed in 1975 to address a “critical need for political defense of the Second Amendment,” according to its website. The group advocates against gun-control measures and the candidates who support them. The NRA is widely considered to be one of the most influential and powerful issue advocacy organizations in the United States, and the Institute for Legislative Action is a crucial component of that advocacy.

involvement in federal and state elections:

Although the Institute typically supports conservative candidates, it has also occasionally supported more liberal candidates who are in favor of gun rights.In 2012, the Institute spent roughly $4.7 million opposing Democratic candidates, including $3 million in a failed effort to stop President Obama’s re-election bid. It also spent $2.8 million to support Republican candidates and about $27,000 to back Democrats. In 2014, it spent $6.9 million opposing Democratic candidates and $4 million supporting Republican candidates.

known donors:

Freedom Partners, a group associated with the billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, gave the NRA $4.9 million in 2014.